Fluid tanks are commonly employed in recreational, agricultural and construction vehicles for storing necessary fluids such as fuel, oil, radiator coolant, and windshield wiper fluid. These fluid tanks are typically preformed and securing mounted to the vehicle frame. In some applications, the fluid tank is integrally formed as part of the frame. Because the tank stores essential fluid which is consumed during operation of the vehicle, it is advantageous to maximize the volume of the tank to prolong the time between necessary refills. Alternatively, the vehicle may be provided with an auxiliary tank to prolong the time between fill-ups. However, increasing the volume of the tank or providing an additional auxiliary tank both require additional space. In many vehicles, this additional space is simply not available.
One example of where there is a great need to increase tank capacity is with the fuel tanks of agricultural vehicles such as tractors. Tractors are frequently used to pull and power a wide variety of relatively large agricultural implements across large acreages or fields. These fields are frequently remote from fueling stations. As a result, refueling the tractor is extremely time consuming and inconvenient.
To prolong the periods between required refueling, many tractors are provided with enlarged tanks and additional auxiliary tanks. However, these larger tanks and additional auxiliary tanks occupy much needed space. Moreover, because these larger tanks and additional auxiliary tanks must be located and sized so as to not interfere with the normal functioning of the tractor, the additional fuel storage capacity provided by the tanks is limited. Thus, there remains a great need for increasing the fuel storage capacity while utilizing the vehicle's available space.